Steamed Pumpkin Puddings With Tennessee Rum Hard Sauce And Pumpkin Seed Brittle Recipes

PUMPKIN SEED BRITTLE

Steps:

• Place the oil and seeds into a 10-inch saute pan and set over medium-high heat. Toast the seeds while constantly moving the pan. You will smell their aroma and hear some of them begin to crackle when they are toasted, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the seeds to a small mixing bowl, add the cayenne, cinnamon and salt and stir to combine.
• Line a half sheet pan with a silicone baking mat.
• Place a 3-quart saucier inside a large cast iron skillet. Add the sugar and water to the saucepan, and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until it comes to a boil. Stop stirring, cover and cook for 3 minutes. Uncover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until the sugar is a light amber color, approximately 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the pumpkin seed mixture. This will greatly reduce the temperature of the sugar, so work quickly. Once evenly mixed, pour the mixture onto the prepared half sheet pan. Using an oiled spatula, spread thin. You will have to work quickly when pouring out and spreading the mixture in the pan. Cool completely, approximately 30 minutes, and then break into pieces. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

PUMPKIN PIE WITH PUMPKIN SEED BRITTLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Transfer the pie dough to a 9-inch pie plate and crimp the edges. Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork and line with foil and pie weights or dried beans. Bake until golden around the edges, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and bake until the bottom is dry, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Whisk the half-and-half, 2/3 cup sugar, the eggs and pie spice in a medium bowl. Whisk in the pumpkin. Pour the filling into the crust.
• Bake the pie until the center is just slightly jiggly but not loose, about 1 hour. Transfer to the rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the topping: Line a baking sheet with foil and mist with cooking spray. Cook the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, swirling the pan a few times, until the mixture is light brown, about 5 minutes. (Brush down any sugar crystals on the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush.) Stir in the pepitas (the mixture will be thick and sticky). Stir in the salt and cook, stirring, until the mixture thins and turns dark brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour onto the prepared baking sheet and smooth out any clumps. Let the brittle cool completely.
• Beat the heavy cream in a medium bowl with a mixer on medium speed until medium peaks form, 2 to 4 minutes. Top the pie with the whipped cream; break up the brittle and sprinkle on top.

NANA'S TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS STEAMED PLUM PUDDING WITH HARD SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine the molasses, butter, milk, and eggs in a mixing bowl. Next, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves in a large mixing bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 3 additions. Toss candied fruit and raisins lightly with flour to prevent sinking and add to batter. Stir in brandy.
• Pour into a greased and sugared steam pudding mold and place on a rack in a large covered pot with water that comes halfway up the sides of the mold. Cover and steam for 2 hours, checking occasionally to make sure water hasn't boiled out. Let cool for 5 minutes on a rack before turning out. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with a sprig of holly and Hard Sauce.
• Beat all ingredients together until very well combined. Serve with pudding.

STEAMED PUMPKIN PUDDING WITH BRANDY SAUCE

Steps:

• Cream together the shortening, brown and granulated sugars, salt and spices. Add eggs and beat well. Stir in nuts. Sift flour with baking powder and soda, add alternately with pumpkin and sour cream, mix well. Turn batter into a well greased 2-quart mold and cover tightly with foil or lid.
• Steam as follows: Set a rack in a large, deep kettle, add water to come halfway up sides of mold (or can). Bring water to a gentle boil, cover the kettle, lower heat, and steam for 2 hours or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Be careful to keep water at a very low boil.
• Let pudding rest for 5 minutes before unmolding on a warm serving plate. Serve hot with brandy sauce.
• Brandy Sauce: 1 egg; 1/3 cup melted butter; 1 1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg; 2 Tablespoons brandy; 1 cup whipped heavy cream.
• Beat egg until frothy, then beat in melted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, and brandy. Carefully fold whipped cream into egg and sugar mixture. Chill until serving time, stirring to blend just before serving.

WARM PUMPKIN PUDDING WITH HARD SAUCE

Steps:

• Pudding: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Butter a 10-inch (14-cup) Bundt pan, preferably nonstick; sprinkle with granulated sugar, tapping out excess.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Beat 2 sticks butter with granulated sugar and 1 cup brown sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined and scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Reduce speed to low; add buttermilk and vanilla and beat until incorporated (mixture will appear curdled). Gradually add flour mixture, then pumpkin, beating just until combined.
• Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until a tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs and top begins to crack, 45 to 55 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine syrup, cream, remaining 1 stick butter, and remaining 1 1/2 cups brown sugar in a saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, just until butter melts and mixture becomes a smooth, shiny glaze.
• Remove pudding from oven and immediately prick all over with a wooden skewer, being sure to penetrate all the way to bottom of pan. Drizzle half of glaze evenly over pudding. Let cool to room temperature in pan on a wire rack, at least 2 1/2 hours.
• Hard sauce: Beat butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; beat in confectioners' sugar and bourbon.
• When ready to serve, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Warm pudding in oven, 15 minutes; remove from oven. Center a heatproof rimmed cake stand or plate over pan, then quickly invert together to release pudding. Rewarm remaining glaze over low heat, stirring until smooth, and pour over pudding, or serve alongside, with hard sauce.